Ocean's Spirit
by SonarTheHedgehog
Summary: AU Haruka Nanase's deep love for water has lead him to Rin, a red-haired water god who has apparently had a connection with Haru all his life. When Rin abducts Haru, the swimmer is caught up in a world he could only dream of. But what Haru doesn't know is that even the water holds terrible evil, and it will stop at nothing to control Haru and the power he alone possesses.
1. The Dark-Haired Swimmer

Haruka Nanase sat idly in his bathtub, poking at a dolphin toy as it gently bobbed up and down in the water. He breathed out a sigh. The night before he had gone to the temple to pray to the Water God for warmer weather. Haru really wanted to swim in the ocean without catching a cold.

Speaking of cold, the temperature of his bath water was turning just that. Haru forced himself out of the tub, water dripping down his toned body, droplets rolling across his swimsuit as he stepped out onto the bathroom mat. He grabbed a towel from the shiny silver rack, and rubbed his dark wet hair with it, then the rest of his body. Haru wandered out into the hallway and into his bedroom, the towel still loosely draped across his head and shoulders.

He quickly dressed in his school uniform, realizing that if he didn't hurry he would be late to his first class. Haru grabbed himself a slice of toast with some leftover mackerel from the fridge on his way out, nearly forgetting to lock the front door behind him.

The nice thing about the town of Iwatobi was that one could see the ocean from almost anywhere. It was a view that Haruka always appreciated, especially on his walk to the train to get to school. He reminded himself to go test out the water that afternoon after school. Maybe the water would finally be bearable enough to swim in.

"Nanase-San, this is…well, definitely the most… interesting paper I've ever seen."

"Hm."

Everyone in Haru's class had to submit a paper about something each of them loved; it was an exercise in using various tools to describe something. A lot of people had written about their favorite sport or family members. Some had written about their girlfriends or boyfriends. Haru, however, had written about water. While the paper was only required to be three pages long, Haruka had managed to write a good ten pages.

Haru stood in front of his teacher's desk, looking at the man quizzically.

_You said to write about and describe something I love. I'm pretty sure what I wrote was more than adequate._

"I am impressed by your work, Haruka. I never thought anyone could describe something so simple to such a massive extent. Needless to say, you've earned top marks for this. I just find it a little unusual is all, to choose water. But to each their own," the teacher said as he marked the grade in bright red pen. He handed it back to Haru over the large wooden desk.

Haru nodded his thanks as he pushed the paper into his school bag, quickly walking out of the classroom. The teacher was just one more person who couldn't see why water was so amazing to Haru, and how everything else was just sort of a drag.

Haru just wanted to hurry up and get back home so he could see if the ocean was warm enough yet. The day had certainly seemed warmer, so why wouldn't the water be?

After dropping his things at home, Haru headed over to the beach, rolling up his pant legs as he went. He stepped from the dry sand onto the more compact wet sand, the ocean gently lapping at his toes. Haru let a small wave come in, soaking his ankles as it spread white foam everywhere. The water felt surprisingly warm. It was the perfect temperature for the ocean, and a happy feeling welled up in Haruka's chest. He quickly stripped off all of his clothing, leaving only his black and purple swimsuit underneath.

Haruka jumped straight into the waves, taking a deep breath as he went. The air tasted faintly of sea salt; it was crisp and clean and natural. Haru swam around underwater for a moment, heading out farther from the shore to a deeper spot. He surfaced, only to go swim around some more, the waves doing little to his form. After a while, Haru just floated on his back, eyes closed as he allowed the waves to gently carry him back to the shore. He enjoyed the sound of the waves, the faint crash they gave off as they hit the beach, the way the water just naturally sloshed together as it rippled and pulled. He opened his eyes and turned onto his stomach, opting to swim the rest of the way back to the beach.

The dark-haired swimmer reach shore, the little waves lapping at his feet as if begging Haru not to go just yet, to stay just for a little while longer. Haru gave the water a silent promise that he would indeed return to its majestic beauty.

Haruka had just turned away from the water to go pick up his clothes when he nearly ran into a red-haired guy who was staring at him.

"What?" Haru asked. "You shouldn't just stand there like that."

"Sorry. Hey, I was just admiring your swimming. You swim like a dolphin," the guy said, grinning. His teeth were pointy and kinda sharp, like a shark's.

"Mm."

"Name's Rin Matsouka," the red-haired guy said as he extended his right hand. "I like to swim too."

"Haruka Nanase," Haru replied, shaking Rin's hand. Rin's grip was like iron. Haru almost thought for a moment that Rin wouldn't let go.

"Hey, since you seem to like swimming so much, wouldn't you rather swim in a pool? I can get you into the one at the Academy not far from here."

Haru perked up at the mention of a swimming pool. Swimming in the ocean was definitely enjoyable by any means, but swimming in a pool had less resistance.

"Samezuka Academy?" Haru asked. "You go there?"

"Yeah. I'll get you in after hours. I'd like to swim with you, Haruka. Meet me out front there at 7 tomorrow," Rin said, flashing his teeth as he grinned. Haru nodded. Sure, he'd only just met the guy, but there was no way he'd turn down the chance of getting free access to a supposedly really nice swimming pool.

"I'll see you then, Rin."

"See ya."

During the entire next day, only one thought stood out in Haruka Nanase's mind.

_POOL. SWIMMING POOL. SWIMMING._

After school he hurried home to do his homework, then went over to Samezuka Academy, arriving out front right at seven. Rin was already there waiting for him. He greeted Haru with his pointy grin.

"I'm glad you came. I've been looking from someone good to swim with."

Rin led Haru inside the school, leading down various hallways until they reached the massive indoor pool. Rin swept a keycard through a slot in the door, which popped open. He turned around to look at Haru, only to find the raven-haired teen stripping off all his clothes.

"You wear your suit underneath your clothes? Have you been wearing it like that all day?" Rin asked, amused yet slightly bewildered. Haru shrugged in response as he got up on the starting block for the nearest lane, and jumped in. It was a perfect dive. Rin smirked.

He went off into the changing rooms to get his own suit on, leaving Haru to float around in the crystal clear pool. He yanked on his own black and red suit which extended down to his ankles, unlike Haru's suit, which only went down to the knee.

"Hey, you wanna race?" Rin asked as he gazed down at Haru, who had swam to the edge of the pool.

"I don't really care about winning or losing so much," Haru replied. "Or times, for that matter."

"Any preferred strokes?"

"I only swim free," Haru said, diving underwater again as he aimlessly swam around. Rin could only stare for a moment. He had never seen anyone swim around so gracefully.

He waited for Haru to surface again before posing his challenge. "You gonna race me or not? I let you in here, after all."

Haru climbed out of the water, heading over to the starting block next to the one Rin stood upon. "Fair enough. But I only swim free."

"All right," Rin said, throwing Haru a pair of goggle. Haru caught them neatly with one hand.

"We'll do one lap, from one side of the pool to the other. If you win, I'll let you come back tomorrow," Rin teased. Haru grunted in response as he adjusted the goggles to fit to his eyes.

They each stood in position on the blocks. Since there was no one else there to give them a signal, Rin just yelled "Go!"

Haru glided into the water as he dove, his arms aimed over his head as his back arched slightly, his feet together. He began to bring his arms up and in, meeting with the water and flowing with it, his legs kicking to propel his body forward. Every few strokes he's lift his head to take a breath, and out of the corner of his eye he'd see Rin doing the same.

Haru managed the turnaround a little smoother than Rin, whose form was also rather incredible, although Haru could tell that freestyle wasn't exactly Rin's strong point. He looked more like a swimmer who did butterfly.

They each reached the other side, finishing the lap. Haru won by a mere few inches, breathing a little hard. He heard Rin laugh in the lane next to him.

"Thanks for that, Haruka. I needed a good workout. I'll be here tomorrow too. Same time?"

Haru nodded, his face deadpan. Rin shook his head as he climbed out of the water, laughing a little. Haru reluctantly got out as well, not exactly willing to leave his beloved water. However, he knew he was a guest, and it was clearly time to go. He sighed internally, but again promised the water that he would be back to bask in its wondrous beauty again the next day.


	2. Reveal! The Water God, Rin

True to his word, Rin was there the next day to let Haru into the pool. Haru and Rin would swim around aimlessly, although sometimes Rin would go and swim a lap, usually with the butterfly stroke. He'd tease Haru to try something different for once.

"Come on, Haruka. I want to see you try the butterfly stroke. Breast stroke even, do something else!"

"I only swim free."

Rin shook his head, laughing a little. He wasn't too sure what he expected from Haru.

They continued this every night for several weeks. Haru generally wouldn't talk much unless Rin asked questions, but he never ignored them. After those first few nights, he was pretty comfortable with Rin.

Haru lived alone in his house because his parents were gone away to work. He liked to eat mackerel a lot. Swimming was his favorite thing in the entire world, and he's been on a swim team as a child. When Haru couldn't swim because of the weather, he'd take really long baths. Haru didn't really have any friends, although some of the girls at school seemed to think he was cute.

"Hey, Haruka." Rin called. He was standing by the pool's edge, goggles in hand, a small frown on his face as he watched Haru glide around through the water. "You said you're not really friends with anyone, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Haru didn't see what Rin was getting at.

"Well, I'll be your friend, then, hmm?"

"Okay. That sounds good."

With that, Haru pushed off from the edge, floating away on his back. Rin smirked a bit at Haru's response. To a lot of other people, it would have seemed that Haruka didn't really care. Rin knew better.

He dove into the water, gliding downward and then up towards the surface again, coming up right next to Haru. Rin flipped over onto his back to float right alongside Haru.

"Let's go somewhere tomorrow night. How about the festival?"

"Mm. All right."

-Mackerel-

"What is that?" Rin asked, pointing at the offering in Haru's hands.

"It's for the water god. The shrine up on the hill is being decorated specially for the festival."

"I swear, Haru, it's like you want to marry the water or something." Rin said as they began the walk from Haru's house to the festival.

"I would if I could," Haru stated, his face deadpan. He didn't see Rin's little smirk.

They walked for a while, going past the beach and the pier. Rin glanced over at Haru, who was looking out at the water as the sun began to set in the sky, casting a glow over it.

"That's a beautiful sight, huh?" Rin asked.

"Yeah."

He glanced down at the little jar in Haru's hands. It was most likely filled with incense or something. Knowing Haru, there was probably mackerel inside. Or incense that smelled like mackerel.

The festival was just ahead of them, tents and booths and light all lined up and clustered together in a colorful combination of blue, orange, and green. "You want to get food?" Rin asked.

"Mackerel with pineapple."

"No, Haruka, you have to eat something other than mackerel," Rin said. Haru just gave him a cold stare. Rin stared back for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, fine, you can still have pineapple, but no mackerel."

Haru seemed satisfied with this compromise, and went onward, scanning the booths with such a thought of food in mind. He and Rin ended up buying skewers that had assorted fish bites on them, along with seared pineapple. Haru seemed pretty content.

The pair went on, watching children play games as they tried to win stuffed animals and balloons and little fish to take home. Haru tried a balloon game and won a few, but ended up giving them to a couple of kids who were having a hard time winning their own.

Meanwhile, Rin had gone to buy a massive spool of cotton candy, tearing off a chunk and offering the spool to Haru. The pair wandered around for some time, taking in the lights and the sounds, all while thoughtfully munching on strands of pink sugar. Haru had gotten a particularly fluffy bit stuck to his thumb, and was contemplating what to do when Rin took hold of Haru's wrist and sucked the cotton candy off in one swift motion. Haru had felt Rin's teeth just barely rake his thumb, shivers going down his spine. Rin grinned with that razor sharp smirk that Haru had become all too accustomed with. Haru pretended to be impassive as usual, all while Rin continued smirking behind him as they went.

Eventually, they climbed up the hill as the night got late, reaching the temple at the very top. There was a slight breeze, which carried away any sound from the festival below. Haru and Rin were the only ones at the temple.

Haru went down and placed his offering (which Rin still suspected was secretly mackerel) by the shrine. He then bowed his head and said a faint prayer to the water god. Unbeknownst to Haru, Rin could hear the entire thing.

_Thanks for the better weather. I can actually swim again. And if it wasn't for that…well, I wouldn't have met Rin._

When Haru turned around, Rin pretended like he didn't hear a word. "You ready? I'm sure the water god is gonna be pretty happy with you."

"Yeah." Haru said, responding to both Rin's question and statement with a single word.

The pair headed down the hill again, taking their time. It was dark now, and all you could see of the ocean were the occasional ripple of waves in the moonlight.

"Hey, we're going to swim again tomorrow, right?" Haru asked suddenly.

"So eager, aren't you? Yeah, we will," Rin replied. "But I want to race again, for real this time."

Haru stopped to look at Rin. "What do you mean, 'for real'?"

Rin stopped a few feet away, turning around to gaze at Haru. He suddenly seemed a lot more fierce than usual. "While I enjoyed the last time we raced, I felt it was too casual. I know how good you are. So tomorrow night I want you to give it everything you've got. And if you win, I'll take you to swim with the dolphins in the aquarium. But if you lose, you have to come with me somewhere."

"Fair enough," Haru said. He liked the idea of swimming with dolphins. Dolphins were fun and nice.

Rin walked him the rest of the way home, both of them only able to think about swimming with the other.

-Mackerel-

Haruka adjusted his swim cap, tugging all of his hair underneath. He looked over at Rin, who snapped the strap of his goggles. Rin gave him his trademark pointy grin.

"I set my phone to sound off a starting alarm in about thirty seconds," Rin said, taking position on his starting block. Haru got up on his own, adjusting his goggles so they wouldn't slip from his eyes. He got down into position, matching Rin, who was still smiling a little. Haruka looked out at the pool, watching its gleaming surface. It was so still and serene.

This peace wouldn't last though, as Rin's phone alarm sounded off, and both males pushed off into the water effortlessly, immediately churning up the water. Haru pushed himself, willing himself to be one with the water. He could feel it, as though he were a part of it, intermingled with it.

**Stroke, kick, stroke, kick, stroke, breather, kick, stroke.** Haru had a rhythm with the water, and he felt so alive with it. It was almost like flying. Haru made the turnaround, and started hurtling back to the other side, his rhythm with the water like a heartbeat.

He finally reached the end, his fingertips smacking the wall. Haruka ripped off his goggles and swim cap simultaneously, only to see Rin grinning down at him. Haru had lost.

_No swimming with dolphins then._

"That was amazing, Haruka. Your form is incredible."

_How was he so fast? Rin wasn't that fast a few weeks ago._

Rin held out a hand, and Haru took it, allowing Rin to help pull him out of the water.

"Thanks," Haru muttered. Rin looked so triumphant, maybe even a little too much so. He looked more like he had won the lottery than winning a little race between two people. His gaze was rather intense as he looked Haru in the eye.

"A deal's a deal. Instead of the aquarium, I'll take you somewhere of my choosing. Meet me at the beach tomorrow morning, at eight."

"I have school," Haru explained.

"Forget school," Rin replied, his tone a little sharp. His faced softened a bit before he continued. "Where I'm taking you is way cooler than school is anyways. Just meet me at the beach."

Haru could only think about how eager Rin had been as he sat in the tub that night. A little TOO eager, even. Haru sighed, sinking deeper into his tub. He'd find out in the morning.

-Mackerel-

Haru got up a little before seven, taking time to soak in the bathtub for a few minutes. He got dressed, but not in his school uniform like he normally would have. Haru then ate his morning mackerel and brushed his teeth. The toothpaste felt weird in his mouth, and there was a growing bubble of anxiety in Haruka's stomach.

_Why am I feeling this? _

It wasn't like Haru to feel anxious, but he shrugged it off. He left the house, looking up at the sky. Dark gray clouds were blanketing the sky, and Haru could smell the impending storm. He trudged over to the beach, every step feeling as if he were getting farther and farther away from safety.

Rin stood waiting on the beach, standing right at the edge where the dry, loose sand met with the hard, wet sand. Rin looked up as Haru approached, a small smirk gracing his lips.

"There you are, Haruka. Good morning."

"Morning," Haru replied, wary. Rin had this look in his eyes that was almost predatory.

"I want to show you something," Rin said. Haru came closer until he and Rin were standing side by side. "Look."

He pointed out over the water for Haru, who at first saw nothing. Then, with a wave of his hand, a jet of water burst up, raining down upon the surface. Haru's lips parted, a small gasp escaping from between them.

"How?"

"Well, you know the water god, the one with the shrine up on the hill?"

Haru turned to look at Rin, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you, Haruka."

"You, a water god?"

"Who do you think gave you better weather?" Rin asked. "I heard your prayer a few weeks ago. If I hadn't intervened with nature, it would have been at least another month before that water was good enough to swim in without the risk of getting sick."

"You did that for me?"

"Haru, there's a lot I've done for you. You just haven't realized it, because you aren't supposed to. When gods intervene with anything, it has to be subtle."  
"I wouldn't call you revealing yourself to me as subtle, Rin," Haru retorted. It was anything but subtle.

"Well, it's not like it's going to matter. I'm taking you home with me." Rin said, his face smug.

"Wha-"

"Forever." Rin added.

"The Hell is that supposed to mean," Haru demanded.

"It means," Rin said, gripping Haru's wrist, pulling him closer until their faces were only inches away. "I'm never letting you go."

Haru tried to push Rin away, but the red-haired god had a grip of iron, and instead managed to pull Haru close enough to wrap his arm around. Rin had Haru pressed against him, Haru's left wrist in his own left hand, while Rin's other arm was around Haru's waist, trapping the dark-haired boy's right arm up against his side.

"Joke's on you," Haru said, no humor present in his voice. "You may be a god, but I'm a human, and humans can't live forever."

"You'd be surprised by what you are, Haruka. And I can fix that," Rin said.

Haru felt a sharp pain in his left forearm, and snapped his head quickly to look. He had a large set of teeth marks, and a tingling sensation shooting up his arm. Realization hit Haru like a wave.

_THIS GUY JUST BIT ME WITH HIS FREAKY-ASS TEETH._

"Hey, when I said forever, I meant it," Rin said as he tried to keep Haru from wriggling out of his grasp.

"How does biting me change anything?" Haru demanded as he struggled to break free from Rin. His arm was hurting; it throbbed, and blood had begun welling up and forming droplets.

"I gave you some of my essence. I basically just made you immortal, dummy."

"The bite of immortality. Sounds like a cheap vampire romance novel," Haru said as he tried to kick Rin in the shins. It didn't help at all that Rin had started to drag him out into the water, making it harder.

Usually, the water and Haru would flow together. Today, though, the water seemed to be doing everything possible to keep Haru from escaping. It felt heavy and it sucked at Haru's feet, making it more difficult to walk. Rin kept a tight grip, keeping Haru right up against him.

They were about waist deep in the sea when Rin came to a halt. Haruka had stopped struggling, finding that he was only wearing himself out. He looked down at the water. It almost seemed guilty for betraying him, in the way that the waves moved.

Rin was murmuring something, staying entirely focused on a patch of sea in front of him. Haru managed to look over his shoulder, craning his neck a little. There was no one around. Everyone was either at school or indoors because of the incoming storm (which was probably Rin's doing). Haru stared at the beach, at the concrete wall separating the sand from the sidewalk, at the houses. He could see the roof of his own house from the spot he was currently in. There was a pang inside his chest, and Haru had a sinking feeling that this was the last time he would ever see Iwatobi.

There was a sudden rush of water, causing Haru to turn his neck back around. The water was going out like a riptide, and Haru followed it with his eyes. A massive wave rose up in front of him and Rin, foam forming at the edges as they curled up. The wave was monstrous, and all Rin did was stand there, smiling triumphantly.

"Rin, let go of me."

_I can swim with that wave if it hits me, right back to shore. I'd be safe._

Rin ignored him, and continued to look forward as the wave began curling and crashing down.

"Let me go."

_I can't swim with it if Rin doesn't release me right now. If he doesn't, it'll drown us both._

"Let me go!" Haru said frantic. Water wasn't supposed to be menacing like this. It wasn't supposed to be like a giant monster. Water had always been Haru's friend, especially when he'd had none.

The wave came crashing down, and Haru shut his eyes. He heard it roar in his ears, drowning out everything.

Suddenly, everything was calm, and Haru heard only the sound of the faint ripple of water hitting the beach, and his own breathing synchronized with Rin's. Haruka opened his eyes, and looked around. He and Rin were standing in a shallow pool surrounded by sand. The water was clear and gentle, tickling Haru's ankles as it flowed and brushed against him, as if saying hello.

Haru looked up, and gasped. Instead of a cloudy sky, there was a giant glass dome, with water on the outside. They were under the ocean, making the sky be water. It was the most beautiful thing Haru had ever seen.

"…Sorry. I had to hold you tight so the water wouldn't rip you away from me," Rin said. Haru blinked at him. Had Rin been talking this whole time?

"Rin, I-" Haru really couldn't get out more than that as he collapsed back into Rin's arms from exhaustion.

"Damn, the trip must've completely drained him," he heard Rin mutter as the darkness came to swallow Haru up. Haruka felt Rin scoop him up from underneath his knees and shoulders. "Haruka, just hang on. I'll get you inside, where it's safe."

Then everything went completely black.


	3. The Sky of Water

Haru awoke in a cold sweat, blinking his eyes blearily. He slowly sat up, rubbing at his face.

"Ugh."

He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. Haruka was in a bed; unlike the one at home, this bed was huge, with cream and pale blue covers. The bedposts were carved from pale, sun-bleached wood, with ornate wave designs rippled into them. Haru flung the covers off himself, slowly lowering himself out of bed. The floor was nice and cool beneath his feet. Haru stumbled a little towards an open doorway, pushing it all the way open to discover a bathroom.

There was a bathtub so massive, it was basically a small swimming pool. The shower was huge, and had jets coming from various directions. Sea shells of all varieties were embedded into the walls and the floor, and the mirror looked as if it were made from crystal.

Haru stripped off his clothes, feeling sticky from sweat. He had just pulled off his jacket, when he noticed the bite mark Rin had left behind. It had already faded, leaving only pale pink marks, which also seemed to be fading. Haru shook his head and yanked off the rest of his clothes, climbing into the shower.

It felt good to just stand there and allow the water to blast off the sweat and salt. Haruka felt like the water was embracing him, cleaning him out as it went. He washed his hair and scrubbed hard to get off any remaining salt.

After a good ten minutes, Haru shut off the jets with a sigh and got out, wrapping a towel around his dripping body as he went. He wandered back out into the bedroom, noticing for the first time that the walls were also a pale blue, and were carved out to look like waves. There was a dresser made from the same wood as the bedposts. Haru pulled open one of the drawers, finding swimsuits inside. They all looked like the black ones with the purple lines he had at home. He grabbed one, figuring that if Rin was a water god, then there had to be a pool or somewhere else to swim nearby.

He then pulled out a yellow shirt, some pants, and a blue and white jacket from various drawers, and wandered back into the bathroom to get dressed and put the towel back. Haruka sighed, wondering where Rin was. That guy was so troublesome, bringing Haru here and then disappearing.

Haru came back out into the bedroom and had just put on shoes when he noticed there was a butterfly sitting on one of the bedposts. It fluttered over to a door on the opposite side of the room, landing delicately upon a doorknob. Haru decided to follow it, and carefully opened the door, letting the butterfly out. He followed it out into a grand hallway lined with mirrors, and down various twists and turns with stained glass and carved marble statues of various sea creatures.

_I've been kidnapped by a god with freaky-ass pointy teeth, and now I'm following a butterfly. This is great._

Finally, it led Haru to a large doorway. Haru pulled it open, discovering that it led to outside. Well, "outside" being relative. Haruka gazed up, finding that the area was surrounded by glass; the walls and ceiling were perfectly merged together, revealing the outside open sea all around. Far off in the distance of the underwater horizon, Haru could see what appeared to be an underwater city. He realized that where he was now was probably part of a palace.

Haru had always imagined the depths of the sea being dark and foreboding, but if anything, this wasn't the case. He could clearly see a large variety of sea animals as they floated by. Haru walked alongside the glass, looking out. A few dolphins swam by gracefully, doubling back to look at Haru, then swam off again. A seal floated up to the glass and squished its face up against it, its eyes staring right at Haru's. Several other animals swam by to get a look at him; beluga whales, more dolphins, some fish.

Haru heard a noise come from his right, startling him. He whirled around, hearing the noise again. It sounded like a squawk of some kind. Haruka looked down, only to find a penguin. There was a penguin not three feet away from him, and the butterfly had landed on its beak, where it fluttered its wings softly. The penguin began to follow Haru around, and it was really quite cute. Haru turned back towards the glass, only to find a killer whale.

The black and white orca swam right alongside the glass, matching Haru's walking speed. Unlike the other creatures, which would come to see Haru and then swim away, the orca stayed right next to him, only separated by a wall of glass. It tried to wave at him with a fin (well, Haru though it was waving), and Haru waved back.

Suddenly, the orca disappeared, going beneath the glass, out of sight where Haruka couldn't see it anymore. Haru spotted a pool with a tunnel coming out of one wall about twenty yards away, and was about to start stripping when he saw the orca come out of the tunnel and into the lower depths of the pool.

"So that's where it went," Haruka muttered to himself. The orca swam around for a bit, then came up to the surface to take a breath. It swam right over to Haru, who hesitantly reached out a hand to stroke it. The whale met its head with Haru's hand; its head was slippery and wet, and Haru stroked it gently.

"Aww, I think Mako-chan likes you, Haru-chan!"

"Nagisa, don't call Haruka-senpai that until you know him!"

Haru froze. He didn't remember seeing any people. He slowly turned around, only to see a goofy blond guy, and a serious looking guy with glasses and blue hair. Haru observed that the penguin and butterfly were both gone, but didn't make the connection. Well, he didn't until there was another voice behind him.

"Hey now, don't fight you two," a gentle voice said. "You have to think about first impression."

Haru turned back around again, only to find a tall boy with brown hair, jade eyes, and a gentle smile.

"Hello, I'm Makoto." He said, extending a hand. Makoto was wearing a swimsuit, and was dripping wet. That was when something clicked in Haru's mind.

_The animals were people._


	4. The Orca, The Penguin, and The Butterfly

Haru just stared at the three of them for a few minutes, trying to process what he had just seen. However, only one thought floated through his mind:

"Is Rin going to turn me into an animal too?" He had accidentally spoken his thoughts aloud.

Nagisa and Makoto both laughed at this statement like it was the cutest thing they'd ever heard. The blue-haired guy simply shoved his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, the lenses flashing.

"No, Haru-chan, Rin isn't going to turn you into an animal. You don't have anything to worry about," Makoto said with a gentle smile. To Haru, Makoto was kind of like a gentle giant, with his sweet demeanor and tall build. It was hard to believe the guy was a killer whale only moments before.

"Allow me to introduce is properly, Haruka-sempai," the blue-haired boy said quickly. "My name is Rei, and this is Nagisa, and Makoto. Rin has assigned us to be your companions and protectors, a duty I am honored to take on!"

Rei's face was so serious, but also very sincere. Haru could feel his insides soften towards the three of them.

"What are you?" Haru asked. "Are you gods as well?"

"Eh? No, we're not gods," Makoto said. "We were human once, but Rin gave us powers to shape-shift, and immortality. Our job is to be there for you when he can't."

"Yes, we will protect you!" Nagisa declared, grabbing hold of Haru's hands. He began bouncing up and down, causing Haru to shake a little with each bounce.

"Protect me from what?" Haru asked, skeptical. Rei was a butterfly, Nagisa was a penguin, and as far as killer whales went, Makoto seemed to be anything but a killer.

"Anything that might hurt you!" Nagisa said, his enthusiasm not slowing down in the least. Haru didn't understand what would hurt him down here, but he shrugged and decided to just go with it.

"Haruka-senpai, Rin said you like to swim? We know a good place you might like!"

Haru turned to Rei as soon as the word "swim" was mentioned. If Rei kept talking like that, they were going to be best friends pretty quick.

"Where?" Haru asked, all else forgotten.

-Mackerel-

Haru floated on his back in the crystal clear pool, his face serene. He could do this all day. The only thing that interrupted him was the conversation between Rei and Nagisa.

"When is Rin-chan-san coming back?"

"In a couple more days, he said."

Haru's eyes snapped open at the sound of Rin's name. He flipped over onto his stomach and swam over to Nagisa, who was over by the edge.

"Rin left?" Haru asked.

"He's a water god, so sometimes he gets busy dealing with weather conditions and currents and other stuff. He really didn't want to have to leave so soon after you got here, but we told him we'd take care of you."

"Mm." Haru was satisfied with Nagisa's answer, and swam away, gliding through the water with ease. Nagisa jumped in after him, pulling an alarmed Makoto down with him. After surfacing, Nagisa gripped Rei's ankle and pulled him in as well.

Haru watched them from the other side of the pool. He swam over, noticing that Rei was using a kickboard to help stay afloat.

"Rei-chan isn't as good of a swimmer yet," Nagisa explained. "But you swim really well, Haru-chan. Did you want to teach him?"

"No, that requires effort," Haru said, earning a chuckle from Makoto.

"Aww, okay. Rei-chan can only do the butterfly, otherwise he can't swim without the kickboard. I like to swim breaststroke, and Mako-chan likes the backstroke best. What about you, Haru-chan?"

"Drop the chan. And I only swim free."

"Oh, okay! Hey, do you like splash fights?" Nagisa asked. Before Haru could even blink, Nagisa managed to sweep a ton of water straight at Haru, who quickly dove beneath the water. Instead, the whole thing hit Makoto in the face, who didn't seem to pleased overall by getting splashed.

"Nagisa…"

"Uh oh."

After that, all Haru could see was the water churning everywhere as Nagisa and Makoto tried to outdo each other, Rei eventually joining in. Haru just stood and watched, until Nagisa tried to use him as a meat shield.

Makoto stopped splashing, not wanting to hit Haruka, who really couldn't care less if the water got him or not. Rei and Nagisa stopped too, only for Nagisa too get another idea within two seconds.

"Hey, let's chicken fight! You know, where you sit on someone's shoulders and wrestle!"

"Nagisa, Haru-chan might not want to do that," Makoto said as he moved to stand by Haru's side.

"No, it's fine," Haru said. "It could be fun."

Nagisa scrambled to get onto Rei's shoulders, the other protesting a little. Haru got onto Makoto's shoulders, who gripped Haru's legs tightly so the raven-haired swimmer wouldn't fall off.

Haru and Nagisa locked hands, each trying to push the other off. Makoto got the brilliant idea to splash Rei, causing him to get flustered and stumble around a bit in the water. Haru, taking the advantage, pushed Nagisa backwards. Rei started to sway backwards as well, until Nagisa heaved himself back upright, shooting Haru a smirk. He tried to push Haru sideways, and the only thing preventing Haru from falling off was the tight grip Makoto had on him. He and Nagisa were gripping each other's hands again, back to square one. An idea formed in Haru's mind.

"Hey, look, there's a penguin," Haru said, nodding his head, indicating location.

Nagisa turned his upper body to try and get a look. "Where?!"

All it took was a simple shove, and Nagisa and Rei both fell over sideways into the water. Rei shriek was drowned out by him collapsing underwater. Unfortunately, Rei's foot hooking with one of Makoto's when he went down, sending both Haru and Makoto down as well.

All four of them surfaced at the same time, Haru shaking out his hair. They all just looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

-Mackerel-

"Here, Haru-chan, have this bit of mackerel. We put in the hotpot just for you," Nagisa said as he lifted the bit of fish into Haruka's bowl. Haru was pleased by this, and pulled some rice out of the hotpot as well.

The four of them were sitting in a circle around the hotpot, each still clad in their swimsuits and jackets.

"So, what exactly does Rin do?" Haru asked, taking a bite from his mackerel. "I mean, as a water god."

"Well," Makoto said, putting down his bowl. "Rin controls the weather, making sure it doesn't get too out of control. Unfortunately, he sometimes just has to let natural disasters happen."

"He also deals with the oceanic currents," Rei added. "He ensures that they stay uniform and don't change too much, so as not to affect the migration patterns of some sea animals."

"Mm, okay."

"Hey, Haru-chan, if you want we can go see the city tomorrow." Makoto said.

"The big one with the spires?" Haru asked. "I saw it through the glass earlier."

"Yeah, that's it. We can go there tomorrow and buy stuff and eat everything!"

"Nagisa, you can't eat everything, you'll get sick…"

"Rei-chan, you're no fun!"

Haru sat back and watched the three of them bicker playfully. Only Makoto noticed the small smile that tugged at Haruka's lips.


	5. The City of Water

"Good morning, Haru-chan. I- ARE YOU WEARING YOUR SWIMSUIT IN THE BATH?!"

Haru gazed up at Makoto lazily. "Well, would you have preferred me naked?" He asked.

Makoto let out a squeak, his face turning bright red, and he looked extremely awkward and uncomfortable for a moment before helping Haru out of the tub. Haru then wandered into his expansive bedroom to pull out some clothes before heading back into the bathroom to change. When he came out again, Makoto was looking down a little, face still red.

"I'm sorry, Haru-chan. I didn't really think about the fact that you were in the bath. I just wanted to come get you since Nagisa wanted to show you the city today."

"Don't worry about it," Haru replied. He was glad to see Makoto's face lighten up a bit, like a candle.

"Do you want to get breakfast, Haru-chan? What do you normally like for breakfast?" Makoto asked as he lead Haru out the door and into the palace corridor.

"Mackerel."

"Eh? For breakfast? I know Rin said you like it a lot, but I didn't realize you ate it for breakfast too…"

"What else has Rin told you?" Haru asked, curious. Their footsteps echoed faintly on the floor as Makoto led Haru to the kitchens.

"Only bits and pieces about you. But I like Haru-chan," Makoto said.

Haru stopped walking, facing Makoto. "Why are you here? And Nagisa and Rei? I get what your…job is, I guess, but why?"

"Well," Makoto said. "We all met Rin when we were little. He brought us here and gave us each our abilities. I guess he sort of watched over you while you grew up, and he said you didn't have any friends. I think that Rin didn't want you to be alone when you came here."

"But why me?" Haru asked, suddenly feeling confused. _Rin watched over me my whole life? I'm not special, so why bother?_

"I think maybe Rin should explain to you, Haru. Now, let's get breakfast, otherwise Nagisa will be mad that we're going to be late."

"All right. And Makoto?"

"Yes?" Makoto said, turning to look at Haru as they walked. Haru glanced back up at him.

"I like Mako-chan too."

-Mackerel-

The palace chef (who Haru suspected was probably a sea turtle in his spare time), informed Haru that the castle currently had no supply of mackerel, but would order some immediately. Haru and Makoto instead ate some rice and natto and nori with some salted salmon. Makoto made Haru eat two bowls of rice so he would be getting enough carbohydrates for "an action-packed day!" (Haru suspected that Makoto had heard this from Nagisa.)

It turns out that said blonde was waiting with Rei right by the area where the four of them had first met, and he greeted Makoto and Haru with a massive smile.

"Ah! Good morning! Haru-chan, are you ready to see the city?"

"We have to take him to the restaurant by the opera house," Rei said.

"And the little shop next to it!" Nagisa added.

"The city is a lot like any city up on the surface world," Makoto explained, a gentle smile on his face.

"But it's prettier down here!" Nagisa added. "And in the opera house, there are singing mermaids on Wednesdays!"

"WHAT." Haru said. "Mermaids?!"

"Does Haru-chan want to be a mermaid?" Makoto asked.

"Ah, Haru-chan would be a very pretty mermaid!" Nagisa said. He went up to Haru, inspecting him. "I bet your tail would be a shiny blue, or maybe even a silver color."

"Wouldn't Haruka-senpai be a merman?" Rei asked. "That would be much more logical."

"But he would be prettier as a mermaid!" Nagisa whined.

"Can we go to the city now?" Haru asked. He could see it through the glass and the ocean's depths. He couldn't make out exact details, but he could see the faint outlines. It seemed almost ghostly from where he was.

The four of them began walking, Nagisa leading them. Haru saw multiple other buildings as they walked through the gardens and over small wooden bridges that had water flowing through that had come in from an opening in one side of the massive glass walls to the other. One of the buildings appeared to be a library, and another an art gallery.

"This is all still part of the palace," Makoto said.

" But we've been walking for ten minutes," Haru said. The four of them came to a stop in front of an upright golden circle. It was massive, and was at least ten feet across and reached fifteen feet high, by Haru's estimate. On the other side Haru could see the glass wall with the bare ocean on the other side. They had reached a dead end.

Rei went over to what appeared to be a control panel, and typed in a code. Automatically, a pair of rims pulled out of the massive ring, and they began to swirl around and spin rather rapidly. There was a glowing light coming from the center of the ring, which then expanded until it formed a screen that filled the ring entirely.

Nagisa practically jumped through it, Rei following after. Makoto went in, beckoning Haruka to follow. Haru obliged, feeling a cool sensation as he passed through the rippling white screen. It was like a mist.

All of a sudden, Haru could hear noise, and a lot of it. People chattering, vendors yelling out their prices for their wares, the sounds of feet clattering on the ground. They had reached the city, and it was beautiful.

There was a tall green building that was slick like glass that went straight up, curved at the top, and came back down again. Haru walked up to the side of it, and it was so shiny and polished, he could see a perfect reflection of himself in it. He peered inside, trying to see what was inside, but there appeared to be nothing. It wasn't until an air bubble floated upward that Haru realized the building was filled with water.

"This building is a water purifier. It gives us drinking water," Makoto said, immediately answering Haruka's unspoken questions.

"There are similar structures set up in the open ocean to filter out pollution," Rei added, pushing his glasses up his face.

"I want to swim in it," Haru said.

"No, Haru, there's nowhere to breathe in there," Makoto said gently.

"We can go swimming later, Haru-chan! Let's go see some other stuff, okay?" Nagisa grabbed Haru's hand, dragging the raven-haired swimmer along.

They went to various shops, Nagisa grabbing every little shiny trinket to show off to Haru. Nagisa thrust a lovely music box into Haru's face; the outside was encrusted with abalone shell fragments, while the inside was laid with mother-of-pearl.

Makoto bought Haru some salt-water taffy at one little shop. The paper bag was huge, filled with a large assortment of flavors. Haru promised to save it for later and share.

Next, Nagisa dragged Haru along to the opera house so they could go on a tour. Nagisa climbed up onto the stage and began to sing, only to have Rei go after him and pull him back off again, much to Haruka and Makoto's amusement.

They then went to the restaurant next to the opera house, where they ended up ordering half of the menu and sharing it all with each other.

"I ate too much…" Rei said as they walked out, groaning a little. The other three snickered a little.

Haru looked up at the watery "sky" through the massive dome when he saw a massive flash of light. He jumped, surprised.

"What was that?"

"Ah! Rin must be back!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Let's go back to the palace! I'm sure he wants to see you, Haru-chan! He was a little worried about you when he had to leave before you woke up yesterday morning."

-Mackerel-

Rin looked up, having just arrived back at the palace. He had no time to react as Nagisa jumped on him, his excitement bubbling out. Makoto and Rei had to pry him off, while Haru stood by watching the scene passively. Makoto looked from Haru to Rin, and then excused himself and Rei, carrying Nagisa between them.

"Bye, Haru-chan! See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow," Haru said, giving a small wave. He turned back around to face Rin, who looked a little tired.

"Are you all right?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I had to deal with a sudden monsoon yesterday. Walk with me?"

Haru nodded and followed Rin, eventually coming to walk side by side with him. They walked in silence for a while, each enjoying the peace. Rin spoke up rather suddenly.

"I hope you can forgive me for just stealing you away like I did. I didn't even give you any warning or proper explanation."

Haru shrugged. "I like it here. And I enjoyed my time swimming with you and hanging out on the surface." He looked at Rin expectantly. "You'll swim with me again, right?"

"Duh, of course I will." Rin flashed the pointy smile that Haru had grown so accustomed too.

Rin and Haru found a bench and sat down. Well, Rin flung himself down upon it while Haru sat down.

"So, what do you think of those three?" Rin asked. "I know that Nagisa's a big ball of energy, but he works hard. Rei is pretty intelligent and knows all sorts of random crap, and Makoto's like a cuddly stuffed animal. I picked them as companions because I thought they'd be good for you"

"I like them a lot. And if Makoto's a stuffed animal, why did you make him a killer whale?"

Rin laughed a little. "It just seemed to suit him."

They sat in silence for a moment, and then Haru spoke up again.

"Makoto said that you've been watching over me since I was a child. Why me, though?" Haru's blue orbs stared in Rin's red ones.

"That's something I wanted to talk to you about," Rin said, his voice serious. He turned in his spot to face Haru.

"Haruka, I didn't select you, necessarily. I wanted you, yes, and I was happy to get to know you personally first. But the truth is, you've sort of belonged to me since the day of your birth."

Haru felt a wave of confusion wash over him.

"I think it's time you know the truth, Haruka."


	6. Origins

"The truth?" Haru asked. "About what?"

"About who you are, and why I brought you here. It all started with your parents."

_A middle-aged man stood before the shrine, whispering yet another desperate prayer. He had come to pray there since he himself had been young. He stood straight and headed down the hill, slowly heading back home._

"_Dear, I'm home," the dark-haired man called out to his wife. Mr. Nanase headed into their bedroom, where his wife lay in bed. Her skin was pale and clammy, and he could tell she was burning with fever without even lifting a hand to her forehead. He looked to her swollen, pregnant stomach. He had no idea how they would pay for anything once the baby was born, as he was jobless and his wife's medical bills were rising._

"_How was the interview?" Mrs. Nanase asked. Despite her illness she smiled at her husband, who took her hand in his._

"_I think it went well. I'm just hoping they call back within the next few days," he said. "How's the baby?"_

"_Kicking quite a bit. I have a feeling this one will be very active."_

_Just then the doorbell rang, and Mr. Nanase rose to get it._

"_Is it the landlord?" Mrs. Nanase said in a hushed whisper. "He knows we can't pay rent right now. He said he'd give us another month!"_

"_I'll go see who it is. You just rest, dear."_

_Mr. Nanase slowly opened the front door to the apartment, flecks of peeling paint falling off. He was met by a guy with red-hair and intense eyes._

"_I've come because I heard your prayers. I'm here to help you," Rin Matsouka said. Mr. Nanase's eyes widened in shock._

_-Mackerel-_

_Mr. Nanase guided his wife out to their tiny living room, helping her onto the moth-eaten couch. Rin had chosen to stand, while Mr. Nanase sat in a threadbare armchair. The entire apartment smelled musty, and Rin swore he could see mold. The ceiling had a damp spot, there were cracks in the walls, and Mr. Nanase's suit was so worn that it wasn't even a crisp black anymore, but more of a washed out dark gray. Mrs. Nanase's dress (or was it a nightgown?) had a few tiny holes in it. They had to be pretty poor to live in a place like this._

"_You can help us?" Mr. Nanase asked._

"_I can heal your wife, and give you a better life, yes," Rin said. "But at a cost."_

"_I'm afraid we don't have any money to spare," Mr. Nanase said, wringing his hands. "He looked desperate."_

"_I don't want money," Rin said. "I have no need for that. But I can make a deal with you. The price is your child." He gestured at Mrs. Nanase's stomach._

"_Our baby?" She asked, stunned._

"_Yes. I will come to get the child once they are old enough, say sixteen or seventeen, and they will come to live with me."_

"_The baby is a girl. We found out a few days ago," Mr. Nanase said. "We're naming her Haruka."_

"_Haruka is a beautiful name," Rin said. "I'll heal your wife now. I can see that you're pretty anxious."_

_Rin took hold of both Mrs. Nanase's hands in his. He could feel how clammy they were, and he noticed how her forehead was beaded with sweat. He could sense that she was dying._

_He took a deep breath, and as he released, a blue energy seemed to curl up and slide from his hands into hers. She gasped at the feeling, but didn't jerk away. Mr. Nanase watched in amazement as his wife's face regained a healthy rosy color, and her dull, glazed eyes seemed to clear up and brighten. Rin let go after another minute, and Mrs. Nanase stood up with ease._

"_Thank you," Mr. Nanase sobbed out, clasping Rin's hands in his. "Thank you!"_

"_I'm leaving now, but when you and your wife wake up tomorrow, your luck will have changed. I'll see you again after Haruka is born to seal the deal."_

_Rin's words rang true, as the next day Mr. Nanase got a phone call from a big company, offering him a high-paying job. His suit looked brand new as he pulled it out of the closet. There was food in the cupboard and in the refrigerator. The entire apartment was beautiful, with no more cracks in the walls, and a nice leather couch and armchair. The hospital called them and said that an anonymous donor had paid off all of the medical bills. Mr. Nanase opened his briefcase, only to find large, fat stacks of money. He immediately went to pay off the landlord and the bills, and there was still plenty of money to spare._

_He and his wife wept tears of joy that day. Meanwhile, inside of Mrs. Nanase's stomach, Rin's magic had begun to affect it._

_-Mackerel-_

_Mrs. Nanase smiled at the little bundle she held in her arms as she sat down on the couch. Haruka let out a tiny yawn, his little face scrunching up a bit. Mr. Nanase was just about to come see the baby when the doorbell rang. He had a faint idea of who it could be before even opening the door. Just as he had thought, it was Rin._

"_I trust the baby is healthy?" Rin asked._

"_Very," Mr. Nanase said. "Er, but Haruka actually turned out to be a boy, not as a girl. The technician made a mistake."_

_Rin walked over to Mrs. Nanase and crouched down to get a better look the baby. Haruka grabbed one of Rin's fingers with a tiny fist, cooing._

"_He's strong. I think he'll be just fine," Rin said. "He has beautiful eyes."_

"_Ah, at first we were asked if he was a surrogate for someone else because of his eyes. I have brown eyes, as does my husband." Mrs. Nanase said._

"_It was the magic that changed the color," Rin said. "When I healed you, it must have affected the baby as well. He probably has some kind of power of his own."_

_Rin raised a hand to the baby's forehead, placing two fingers directly in the center. There was a faint, pulsing glow that lasted for a few moments, and then Rin pulled his hand away._

"_What have you done?"_

"_I've sealed the deal," Rin said. "I'll come back for him in sixteen years."_

_With that, Rin simply vanished, leaving the Nanase family with their mouths agape. _

_As years passed by, Rin watched over Haru as he grew up, never revealing himself. He was there at Haru's first swim lesson, taking on the form of water itself to help him along. Haru didn't need much help though, as he swam beautifully and with ease, and the instructors work quick to convince the Nanases to put their son in a more advanced class._

_Rin was there when Haru had gotten a scraped knee (he pretended to be a goldfish for like, a month). He watched the shocked face that Mrs. Nanase wore when she pulled off the old bandage to put on a new one, only to see that the nasty scrape Haru had gotten was already completely gone. He found it amusing that Haru didn't really notice, and just wanted to go swim._

_Rin was there every single time Haru went into the ocean, and he could see the anxious look on Mrs. Nanase's face every time, as if Rin was going to appear and drag her child down to the depths (which is sort of what actually happened). Haru paid her no mind, as she always put on a smile every time he turned around to look at his mother._

_Rin was there when Haru was fourteen and a half, and his parents decided to move to another city because Haru's father had gotten a new job. But Rin had checked; the new job paid only a little bit more than the one Mr. Nanase currently had. It angered him to know that they were basically abandoning Haru early just because they couldn't bring themselves to say goodbye later. It wasn't like Rin was going to stop Haruka from seeing his parents altogether._

_Rin looked on, hidden among the puddles and pools that formed from the falling rain, as Haru's parents left the teenage boy on the porch, his blue eyes filled with sadness that broke Rin's heart. The water god was glad that he had thought to find Haruka some friends._

_He watched as the swimmer walked back into the house, slowly shutting the front door behind him. _

-Mackerel-

Rin thought Haruka would be angry. Technically, it was Rin's fault that Haruka's parents had moved away. He had made a deal before Haru was born, a deal that was kept secret for years. Haru could have been angry for any reason he could come up with, and Rin would have understood.

Except when Haru looked at Rin, there was no anger there, or sadness. It was a look that said, "_My curiosity has been sated."_

In all honesty, Haru felt somewhat relieved at knowing why he was there. He felt relieved knowing the reason why the bite marks Rin had given him had gone away so fast.

"Hey, Rin. Why do you have pointy teeth?" Haru suddenly asked, his face deadpan.

"I…have a condition."

"You're a water god. How do you have a condition?"

"Do you want to go swim with me?" Rin asked, dodging the question. Haru seemed interested, and perked up right away.

They went to the crystal pool that Haru had gone to with the others the day before. Haruka dove straight in after flinging his clothes off, enjoying the cool sensation of the water. He surfaced, shaking his hair out a bit.

"Do you ever take that swimsuit off?" Rin asked.

"Only to put on a different one."

Rin grinned at this, and Haru smiled a little at seeing his pointy grin. Rin eventually jumped in as well, and they swam around for a while, Rin occasionally splashing Haru in the face.

After about an hour, the two floated on their backs, side by side. Rin's hand gripped Haru's a little, and Haru didn't pull away. They stayed that way for a while, enjoying the peace of it all.

-Mackerel-

Haruka awoke pretty early, and got himself ready, pulling his jacket on as he walked out of the suite doors. He wasn't sure where Rin or anyone else was, so Haruka simply wandered around a bit. Haru ended up in a completely different corridor. From where he was standing he could see a parallel corridor through the glass that was separated by a tiny stretch of ocean, where he saw Rin having a bit of a heated discussion with another red-haired guy.

"Ah! Haru-chan!" It was Nagisa.

"Who is that with Rin?" Haru asked.

"Oh! That's Seijuurou. He's another water god!"

"There are other water gods?"

"Oh, yeah."

Haru looked back over, only to see Seijuurou giving him the most intense stare. Haruka felt a cold shiver go down his spine.

"Hey, Haru-chan, let's go find Rei-chan and Mako-chan, okay?" Nagisa said, pulling Haru by the hand.

"Yeah, sure…"

Haru could still feel Seijuurou's stare on his back.


	7. Taken

-hey there fans if anyone ever wants to draw fanart for this piece and send me a link or something that would be awesome I want to be one of those cool writers that gets stuff like that k bye bye-

"That's the fourth human you've brought down here in the last ten years, Matsouka." Seijuurou's golden eyes bore into Rin's ruby ones. "Not that I really care, I just want to know what the new one is for."

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Haruka is mine."

"Haruka? That's a lovely name."

Rin stepped up to Seijuurou, his teeth bared. The other water god rarely ever showed up to talk to him, and their truce was a delicate one.

"What do you want from me, Seijuurou?"

"Nothing, I was simply curious. I just want to make sure that you aren't planning on exposing our world."

"I'm not bringing anyone else down here," Rin said. "You don't have to worry."

Seijuurou turned his back on Rin, but then turned over his shoulder. "I'll have to come by again soon. You'll have to introduce me to Haruka."

With that, Seijuurou stepped into the pool that lead out into the open ocean and vanished. Rin gritted his teeth. He barely trusted Seijuurou as it was, but this was just making him edgy.

Rin took a deep breath, composing himself before he went to see Haruka. He didn't want to appear disturbed in any way, especially because that would stir up Nagisa for sure. And if Nagisa got panicked, he would end up stirring up Rei and Makoto as well.

Rin took another breath, and then strode away from the area, heading instead for the gardens.

-Mackerel-

Haru noticed that shortly after spotting Seijuurou (who had been in a completely different corridor), Nagisa had clung to him a bit more, and his normally sweet face was set in such a way that Haru would have thought they were going to get in a fight or something. Nagisa led Haru through the gardens to the library, where Rei and Makoto were sitting around waiting for them.

"Good morning, Haru-chan," Makoto said, his face gentle.

Before Haru could even respond, Nagisa interjected. "Seijuurou's here."

Rei's face turned pale instantly, and the smile fell off Makoto's face. There was a brief moment of silence, only broken by Haru.

"Nagisa, you're hurting my arm." Nagisa's grip had tightened so much that his fingers had started digging into Haru's skin.

The blonde let go, apologizing. Right then, Rin came down the library's spiral staircase.

"Rin?"

"Nagisa said that Seijuurou's here?" Makoto asked.

"Not anymore," Rin replied. "He just left."

"What did he want?" Rei asked, pushing his glasses up onto his face/

"He says that he was just curious as to why I brought down another human from the surface."

The others were silent, processing this answer. Rei then spoke up. "Do you really believe that?"

"I don't know what Seijuurou wants. He's unpredictable. I think we're okay for now."

During all of this, Haru realized that Makoto had stood up to stand closer to Haru, and Rei had tensed up as if ready to spring into action at any moment.

_Is this Seijuurou guy the thing they're meant to keep me safe from?_

Suddenly, Makoto was pulling on Haru's sleeve, telling him to come look at some books with him. The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted, as if they had never discussed anything remotely scary at all.

The next few days seemed oddly cheerful. Rin showed Haru every building that was part of the palace, and they would swim every evening, sometimes accompanied by the other three. Haru and Rin would stay up late and talk about various sea creatures that swam in the depths.

The five of them went out into the city again one day to see the mermaids at the opera house. Haru thought they were amazing. That same night, Haru said his goodbyes to his friends as usual and headed back towards the palace with Rin. The water outside the glass had grown darker until it was black, indicating night. Haru couldn't even see any animals.

Rin suddenly stopped, looking up. "Haru, look."

Haru looked up at the top of the glass, only to see thousands of glowing blue jellyfish floating around. They were like stars.

"Pretty," Haru breathed. He felt Rin's hand reach for his own, and Haru took it, their fingers lacing together. In that moment, everything was perfect.

-Mackerel-

"Hey, Matsouka, didn't I tell you I'd be back soon?" Seijuurou teased, stepping out of the arrival pool. A silver haired boy was right behind him, trying his best to be noticeable.

"Who's your friend?" Rin asked. He had never seen the silver haired boy before.

"This is Nitori," Seijuurou explained. Nitori seemed nice enough, and he waved a little. "And this is Haruka, yes?"

"Hello," Haru said. He didn't see how Makoto, Nagisa, and Rei tensed up behind him, but he could feel Rin's hand take his protectively.

"Ah, Haruka-san," Nitori said. "You look like a swimmer. Do you swim?"

"Every day," Haru replied. It was the truth, but Nitori giggled, thinking Haru was joking.

"You and Nitori should race," Seijuurou suggested. "Nitori was the best swimmer I could find up on the surface."

"Seems harmless enough," Rin said. His grip on Haru's hand didn't loosen, but Haru didn't really mind.

Rin lead the way with Haru in tow, everyone else following behind. Nagisa flanked Seijuurou, giving him the largest death glare he could muster. Rei was pretty certain that if Nagisa kept it up for long enough, he would actually burn holes into Seijuurous's back.

Upon reaching the crystal pool, Haru immediately flung off all of his clothes and jumped straight in, ignoring everyone's protests.

"He wears his swimsuit under his clothes?!" Seijuurou asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, he does that," Rin replied. "It's a normal thing for him."

Seijuurou shook his head then dragged Nitori along to get changed. Haru swam around for a bit until they came back, then got out so he could dive in again to race Nitori.

"What kind of stroke do you want to use, Haruka-san?"

"I only swim free."

"100 meters should do it," Seijuurou said. He sounded like the captain of a swim team or something.

"That's fine," Haru said. He really didn't care, just as long as he got to swim.

He and Nitori both readied themselves. For Haru, it was just another race.

-Mackerel-

Both gods watched as the pair of humans raced against each other; Nitori's form was perfect, but Haruka had somehow managed to make swimming look like a form of art. His strokes, while powerful, were much more elegant than Nitori's, even though Nitori's stroke was very streamlined.

Haru ended up winning by a few seconds, and Makoto helped him out of the pool.

"That was fun," Haru said to Nitori. "You're really good."

Nitori seemed lost for words, but he smiled at the recognition. Meanwhile, Seijuurou's insides burned. He had planned to make Rin look like a fool.

"Ah, Haruka-san, you're bleeding!" Nitori said, pointing to Haru's arm. There was a long, thin scratch that seeped blood.

"I must have hit it on the wall when I got out," Haru said.

The wound suddenly began to seal shut, and the bleeding stopped. After a few seconds, the only thing left was a fading pink line. There was total silence, but Seijuurou kept a passive face.

"Nitori, I think we've overstayed our welcome," Seijuurou said smoothly.

"Eh? Senpai we only just got here!"

Rin led the pair back to the transport pool, watching as they vanished. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Nothing had happened.

At least, not yet.

-Mackerel-

"Senpai-"

"I'm going back for him tonight," Seijuurou said. "If he has healing powers, then that means I can make my immortality absolute." He strode into his chambers, studying an instrument he picked up off the desk. Nitori was panting as he hurried to catch up.

"Senpai, if you kidnap Haruka-san, you could end up starting a war!"

Seijuurou looked at Nitori. "It won't matter. With Haruka, I could be unstoppable. I can get Rin's kingdom, which means I'll have a wider spread in the human world as well."

"And after that, you'll begin THAT plan, right?"

"Yes, Nitori, THAT plan. And now I've found the easy way to success."

-Mackerel-

Haru stood watching the glowing jellyfish, enjoying their faint glow as they flitted through the dark waters. He sighed a little, content. The other four were with him.

"Hey, why do the jellyfish glow?" Nagisa asked.

Rei was just about to launch into a lengthy scientific explanation when they all heard a loud crash, followed by the sounds ofpalace guards getting into a scuffle with someone.

"Nagisa, stay here with Haru," Rin ordered. He, Makoto, and Rei ran to the source of the noise.

"Nagisa-" Haru started, when he was cut off by someone grabbing him. Nagisa was quickly knocked to the ground, and looked up to see a dark-clad figure carrying Haru off.

"HARU-CHAN!"


	8. Gone

Haruka struggled against Seijuurou's grip, trying desperately to break free. The water god's grip on his wrist was strong, and Haru knew his arm would be bruised later. Haru could hear his friends running after them, their footsteps echoing along with faint cries of "Haru-chan! Haru-chan!"

"Let go of me," Haru said, digging his heels into the floor. Seijuurou glared at him, and just yanked him along faster. With a huff, Haru kicked Seijuurou in the shins, causing the other to loosen his grip just enough for Haru to break free. Haruka had just turned away to make a run for it when he felt Seijuurou grip the back of his jacket and pull him backwards.

"You're not going anywhere." Haru gasped a little as the god threw him over his shoulder and took off.

Rin ran as fast as he could, panic eating away at his insides. Haruka was in danger, and he knew that if he didn't hurry, Seijuurou would escape with him. On the other side of the glass walls, various ocean creatures were calling out to Rin, guiding him along the maze of hallways.

"Rin-chan!" Nagisa shouted. "Where is Haru?"

"They said that Seijuurou's taking him to the gate!" Rin yelled back, not daring to slow down.

Makoto had managed to catch up to Rin. "If they reach the gate portal, Seijuurou could transport Haru straight out of the palace to his own kingdom."

"I'm not losing Haruka to that bastard!"

"But what would he want with Haru-chan?" Nagisa asked. He was panting from all the running, but he showed no signs of slowing down.

"Before Haruka was born, I healed his mother to save her life, when I made the deal to eventually get him. Some of that power transferred to him, giving him healing abilities," Rin explained, ignoring the pain he was starting to feel in his legs.

"And?"

"Well, Seijuurou has an ability where if he keeps someone close enough for a long enough period of time, he can use that person's power. All he'll need is to keep Haruka in his castle long enough, and he'll be able to heal without dying from injury. Add that to his immortality, like mine, and he'll be unstoppable."

"EHH?"

"And then what will he do?" Rei yelled out.

"I don't want to find out," Rin said.

-Uh oh we're out of mackerel-

Haru recognized the gate that he and the others had used to go to the city, and it dawned on him what Seijuurou was going to do. The god set Haru down, maintaining a tight grip on Haru's arm. He began to reset the coordinates on the gate, changing it to go to his own kingdom. Haru tried to pull away, and was considering kicking Seijuurou's shins again when he heard Rin's voice.

"HARUKA!"

Right then, the gate opened, and Seijuurou smashed the keypad with a fist. He ran through the closing gate, yanking Haru along with him. Rin was running towards them, and Haru stretched out his free hand as he was pulled through.

"Rin!"

"HARU!"

Their fingertips had just brushed when the portal collapsed shut. Rin was left staring at an empty portal. Haruka was gone, miles away.

The water god slumped to his knees, disbelief flooding through him. Haruka was gone.

"We failed." Rei whispered, his voice cracking. "We failed at our duty."

"No, you didn't," Rin said as he stood up slowly. He turned to face the other three. Nagisa was on the verge of tears, Rei looked disheartened, and Makoto's face had mixed emotions of anger and sorrow.

"You didn't fail," Rin said. "I had no idea this would ever happen. While I've never exactly trusted Seijuurou, I didn't think he would ever try to pull something like this."

"What do we do?" Makoto asked. Nagisa rubbed the tears from his face, his eyes red. Rei was awkwardly patting his back, but it seemed to help.

"Seijjurou-san's castle is miles away from here, correct? And he's damaged the portal."

"What about the transport pool?" Makoto asked. "That portal still functions."

"No, Seijuurou will be watching out for that. He'll be expecting us to come from that one."

"But what about the one you used to bring Haru-chan from the surface?" Nagisa asked. "Can't you just redirect the power to make it go somewhere else?"

Rin smiled. "Nagisa, you're a genius."

-Mackerel-

When Haru awoke, the first thing he noticed was that the room was very, very cold. He blinked blearily, waiting for his vision to restore itself. Haru tried to sit up, but it was too difficult since his hands were bound behind his back. He lay on his side on the floor, which was made of a cool stone. The walls of the room were all made of ice, with no visible door. Outside of the walls, Haru could hear open water.

Haru tried not to shiver. It was freezing, and his jacket wasn't helping. He pulled at the rope that bound his wrists together until they bled, but after about an hour he managed to slip one hand out and then the other.

Haruka sat up, watching as his wrists stopped bleeding, and then seal shut, leaving behind faint pink lines. He rubbed at his wrists, wondering how long he had been unconscious before. Haru didn't even remember getting knocked out. He got to his feet shakily, and couldn't help but shiver a little.

He walked over to one of the walls and tentatively put a hand up to touch it. It was beyond freezing, and Haru gasped at how cold it was.

_I don't know what I expected, or why I did that._

"Haruka-san?"

Haru wheeled around at the sound of the voice, only to find Nitori, the other kid with the gray hair. "Nitori?"

"I just came to see if you had woken up yet. How are you feeling?"

"Very cold," Haru said. He eyed Nitori suspiciously. "You're not going to tie me up again, are you?"

"No," Nitori said gently. "I'm not here to hurt you, Haruka-san."

At that moment, there was a faint rumbling, and the entire room shook a little. Nitori looked around wildly.

"Something must be wrong," he said. "I need to go see what's going on. I think your friends might be here."

Haru blinked, and Nitori was gone. The rumble came again, and this time the shaking broke a small piece of the floor. Unfortunately, with that, water started flooding into the room from below. Haru could only watch as the water covered the entire floor and started to rise.

There was no way out.


	9. To The Rescue

Haruka tried not to panic as the water level in the room slowly rose. It was nearly to his knees, and extremely cold. The opening the seawater was gushing out of was too small for Haru to fit through, and he had nothing to block the hole with. He waded over to one of the walls, and began to bang on it with his fists.

"Hey! Let me out!"

Haru waited a moment, but no one came. He wasn't too sure what he had expected. Suddenly, the opening broke just a little wider, water rushing in with a roar. Haru winced as the cold water surged in a small wave, getting him at the waist. The water began to rise a little faster, and Haru continued to bang on the walls, hoping that someone would come for him.

Elsewhere, Seijuurou was royally pissed. He hadn't expected that Rin had a third portal to use, one that apparently was meant for only surface runs. He strode down the cold, silvery corridors, Nitori following right behind him.

He met Rin in the main hall; the two exchanged glares.

"Nitori, go head off his friends. They're probably trying to go after our prisoner," Seijuurou said calmly. Nitori nodded and ran off, leaving the two gods alone.

"You kidnapped Haruka, and now you've imprisoned him," Rin said, his voice like daggers.

"But didn't you kidnap him as well?" Seijuurou asked, a smirk forming on his lips. "That makes you as much as the bad guy as me."

"Haruka is mine because of a deal I struck with his family," Rin said. Seijuurou seemed a little taken aback by this new information, but he stood his ground.

"And I never imprisoned him, either." Rin added venomously. "I knew he grew up alone, so I made sure he would have friends. He lives in the palace, and goes out to see the city. Every night he and I swim together, and I know that's his favorite thing in the whole world. If anything, I think I might have made his life better. But you? You just stole him away and locked him up like he's not even worth something. Haruka deserves better than that. He deserves to be free."

"How eloquent." Rin snarled at Seijuurou's words.

"Give back Haruka, and we can call it even. Seijuurou, I don't want to fight you. The last thing I want is to start a war," Rin said.

"You don't get it, do you? I need Haruka if I'm going to start a war. Without his healing powers at my disposal, I could die. And Rin, we may be gods, but we can die by another's hand, just like any human. It was really helpful you made Haruka immortal, though, because that means I don't have to worry about him dying of old age on me."

Before Rin could interject, Seijuurou continued. "And once I've won, I'm going to take his friends, too. After all, I don't want Haruka to be friendless."

Rin gritted his teeth. "Don't you even dare go near them!"

"Try me."

Rin threw the first punch.

-Mackerel-

"Rin-san said we have half an hour before we meet him back in designated Hall A," Rei said as he, Makoto, and Nagisa ran down hallways searching for Haru.

"Don't remind me," Makoto said. "Let's just focus on finding Haru and getting him out of here."

"HALT!"

The three swimmers were met by a pair of guards; one of them appeared to have gills, the other with bulging eyes, like a fish.

"Where is Haru?" Nagisa demanded, not intimidated by the slightest.

"We cannot-"

"Oh, I'm sure you can tell us," Makoto said, suddenly losing his nice guy demeanor. "You need to tell us right now, before I turn into an orca and rip your heads off."

"There is a reason orcas are referred to as killer whales," Rei said as he pushed his glasses up on his face, the lenses flashing.

Needless to say, the guards told them where Haru was. After knocking them both out by bashing their heads together, Makoto led the way down a silver hallway until he came across an alcove in the wall, the floor space containing a pool with an opening. It led out into the open ocean, where the guard had said that Haru's prison was located.

"I'm going in," Makoto said. "Once I'm out in the open water, I'll take on my other form."

"I'm coming with you," Nagisa said.

"I will stay here and guard the alcove," Rei said. "Just hurry!"

Makoto and Nagisa both jumped in, swimming quickly down into the opening. Upon hitting open ocean, both changed form, and headed towards a large cube not far from the palace, its walls made of ice.

Inside said cube, Haru gasped for breath. The water level had risen so much that it was nearly at the ceiling, and it wouldn't be much longer until the entire room had flooded. Haru kept himself afloat by kicking his legs, his hands pressed against the ceiling. He had never felt so cold before, and he could feel himself going numb.

Haruka took one last quick breath of air as the room flooded completely. He swam over to one of the walls, trying one last attempt to break out. Outside of his prison, Haru could vaguely make out a large, moving shape. He was probably imagining it.

Haru's lungs gave out, releasing all the air he had left. He couldn't hold it in anymore, and slowly began to sink as water flooded into him. Haruka felt so numb, he could barely feel it as his body hit the floor. He was tired, and the water was nice. Cold, but nice. His eyes slid shut as he drowned, the last air bubbles escaping his lungs.

Just then, a killer whale broke through the thick wall with a roar, a penguin flitting beside it. Makoto found Haru within an instant, his massive eyes observing Haruka's stillness.

Nagisa swam over, trying to lift Haruka's body. Makoto swam underneath, catching Haru onto his back. Nagisa regained his human form to help Haru stay on the orca's back, and signaled Makoto to move out.

Makoto rushed to reach the opening, but was forced to turn back since it was too small to accommodate his whale form. He and Nagisa swam towards the surface of the alcove pool, carrying Haru between them.

"Rei! Quick, take Haru-chan!"

Rei reached down and pulled Haru out as gently as he could while the other two pulled themselves out of the water.

"He's so cold," Rei said. "Look, his lips are purple."

With his dark hair and cold body, Haruka could have passed for a corpse. Makoto was about to perform CPR when Haru began to cough violently, expelling the large quantity of water his lungs had inhaled. Haru gazed around at his friends for the briefest of moments before he passed out again.

Makoto scooped Haru up into his arms, his friend sopping wet and chilled to the bone. "We need to get him out of here."

"Agreed," Rei said. The three of them fled down the hallways, dodging guards as they made their way back to the meeting spot. They were stopped by Nitori, who seemed to be trembling a little.

"I-I can't let you through," Nitori stammered. "Give me Haruka-san, and I might let you go free."

Nagisa stomped over to Nitori, looked him in the eye, and punched the other boy straight in the face.

"Threaten Haru-chan again, and I'll shank you." Nagisa said sweetly, a smile on his face. Nitori lay sprawled on the ground, too stunned to move or speak.

-Mackerel-

"Rin-chan!"

"Makoto, you got him-oh no," Rin said as he took Haruka's limp form from Makoto's arms. "What happened?"

"He was trapped, and his prison flooded. We got there just in time."

Rin grit his teeth. He held Haru close, trying to warm the dark-haired teen's body with his own body-heat.

"Seijuurou's down for the count, but I'm pretty sure I just started a war back there," Rin said as they headed for the portal. "But I'm not worried about that now. We need to get Haruka back safely."

Upon returning home, Rin made sure all portal connections were severed. He wasn't risking anything. Little did Rin know, his precautions would do little to stop the oncoming storm.


	10. The Beginning of the End?

"He's so cold."

Haruka lay in his massive bed, blankets and quilts piled on top of him. He was really weak from basically drowning, and exhausted. He slept soundly. Rin stayed right by his side, one hand on Haru's forehead.

"That bastard," Rin hissed. "He's just as good as declared war, with what he did back there."

Nagisa clambered onto the foot of the bed, careful to avoid Haru's feet. "What do you mean, declare war?"

Rin sighed, and Makoto noted that he looked troubled. "It is against the code of the gods to do certain things against each other. Certain acts are basically equivalent to declaring war. One of these is thievery of a god's ward, or someone they keep close to them."

"So when Seijuurou took Haruka, he basically declared war," Rei clarified. He was leaning up against the wall, Makoto next to him.

"But we got Haru back!" Nagisa said.

"That hardly matters. He tried it once, I'm sure he'll do it again," Rin said. "I'm certain he's going to plan something much bigger. And no matter what kind of defenses I put up, it might not be enough to stop him."

"But Rin-chan has such powerful magic! Didn't you just put up defensive spells around the city?" Nagisa asked.

Rin looked a bit upset, his face holding a trace of anger. "Unfortunately, Seijuurou is more powerful than I am."

The room went silent, and no one said anything for a while. It was so quiet, one could hear the ocean outside as it pounded against the palace walls. Suddenly, a small voice spoke up.

"I want mackerel."

"HARU?"

"You get kidnapped and drown in icy cold water…and the first thing you want is mackerel…really Haruka…" Haru could see that Rin was smiling a little, though. Makoto was relieved, and Nagisa was all smiles and hugs while Rei pulled the blond off, apologizing profusely to Haru in the process. Makoto excused himself and the other two, leaving Haru and Rin alone.

Haru slowly sat up in bed, only for Rin to push him back down again. "No, Haru, you need to rest."

"Rin…that's the first time you've called me that instead of my full name."

The unmistakable faint rosy tint of blush spread across Rin's face. He turned away a little, embarrassed. Haru shivered again underneath the blankets, much to Rin's dismay.

"Move over a little, Haru." Rin pulled off the covers and climber into bed with Haru, pulling all of the layers back over them again. Haru rolled over a little so he was facing Rin. The water god pulled Haru close, resting his head on the raven-haired teen's head. After a few minutes, Haru started to feel better.

"Rin?"

"Hmm?"

"I like it here. And I like being with you," Haru said.

"I like you too, Haru." Rin said. He could feel Haruka's heartbeat against his own. "I don't want to lose you."

"What will happen if Seijuurou comes back?" Haru asked. His eyes were starting to get heavy, and he yawned.

"I don't know. But Haru," Rin said, lifting Haru's head a little so they could see each other. "I will always find you. I promise."

"Rin, I…I just…"

Haru fell asleep against Rin's chest, never finishing his sentence. Rin stroked his hair for a while, bending his head down to place a chaste kiss on the other's head. He listened to Haru breathe; the swimmer's breaths were long and deep, his lungs expanded from years of swimming.

Haruka's skin actually started to feel like a normal body temperature, and Rin was certain Haru would be fine if Rin left. He was about to try and move when Haru's hand curled around Rin's, gripping it tightly. Haru snuggled closer to Rin subconsciously, trying to move closer to the source of warmth and comfort. Rin decided to stay right where he was, and lay down with Haru on his chest. They stayed like that all night, Rin stroking Haru's hair and holding him all the while.

-Mackerel-

Haruka awoke the next morning, only to find himself on top of Rin. He glanced up at the other, who was wide awake and staring at him.

"Were you awake all night?"

"I'm a god. I don't need as much rest as you do. I made you immortal, but you're still human, Haru."

"Well, this human is going to go shower. I need to tell the water not to drown me next time," Haru said as he rolled out of bed.

Rin rolled his eyes at the other. He watched as Haru pulled out another of his typical black and purple swimsuits along with some other clothes. "Are you wearing that in the bath?"

"No, it's for after," Haru said, his face deadpan.

"Seriously, you never go anywhere without a swimsuit…"

Rin left to go get himself cleaned up for the day, leaving Haruka alone. Haru sat in the hot bath for a while, enjoying the feeling of it. He scrubbed himself really hard and washed his hair thoroughly. After he got out, he dressed in black jeans and a matching shirt with a dark blue hoodie and grey shoes, and of course, the swimsuit underneath it all.

"Haru-chan! Are you in here?" Nagisa called out, his cheerful voice reverberating throughout the spacious bathroom.

"Really, Nagisa, he's in the bathroom…" Rei said, exasperated.

"I'm here," Haru said as he came around the corner.

"You look much better, Haru," Rei said, his face filled with relief. Nagisa jumped on Haru, who hugged Nagisa back.

"Let's go get breakfast," Makoto suggested. "The kitchen crew should be awake by now."

Haru followed his friends to the palace's dining hall. As they sat around the table for breakfast, Haru realized that Rin wasn't there.

"Where's Rin?"

"He said there was a disturbance and he went to check it out," Makoto answered.

"Yeah, a disturbance in The Force," Nagisa added. Both Makoto and Rei gave him an exasperated look.

"Nagisa, was that necessary?"

Haru smiled a bit, much to Nagisa's great joy. The cook came and brought them food, and let Haru eat all of the mackerel he wanted. Nagisa took a loaf of melon bread, and shoved the entire thing into Haru's mouth, much to his displeasure. Makoto had to save him, while Rei tried to gain some control over Nagisa, who had then suggested for someone to try and eat a whole square of horseradish.

Eventually breakfast was over, and Haru found himself heading back with his friends. He looked out the glass walls at the open water as they walked through the corridors. Haru suddenly stopped, grabbing Makoto's sleeve.

"What is that?"

"Huh?"

Out in the water, there seemed to be a mass of something. As it came closer, Haru could see a bunch of large sea creatures, including a blue whale alongside a few humpbacks, some elephant seals, walruses, and various others. They were all headed straight for the wall, and were moving quickly.

"Haru!"

Haru and the others turned, only to see Rin coming down the corridor, flanked by some guards. "Haru, we need to go, now."

"Rin," Makoto said, his voice anxious. "What's going on? What's happening?"

"An invasion."

Just then, one of the whales rammed into the glass wall, causing it to crack. Water dripped out like a leaky faucet, and another hit or two and it would be smashed. Rin grabbed Haru by the hand and motioned for the others to follow.

"Come on!"

Haru could hear glass shattering behind him, followed by the sound of crashing water. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through him as water followed them.

"Rin! We can't outrun the wave!"

Rin suddenly stopped, turning around to face the massive flood of water. In an instant, there was a wall of ice stopping it completely.

"We're safe for now," Rin said. "But we need to hurry."

"My lord," a servant said, running. He seemed out of breath, and sweat beaded on his brow. "All of the portals, sir. They've been ruined, destroyed."

"The city has fallen," Makoto said from behind Rin. "You can see it from here, through the glass."

Haruka had never seen Makoto and Rei look so terrified, and Nagisa eyes were as wide as saucers. Haru turned to look through the glass, only to see the most unpleasant sight.

The beautiful city he had visited was collapsing as water invaded the crystal dome, shattering buildings and knocking them over. Homes were destroyed, and Haru thought he could see some of the bodies of residents as they floated around in the water.

"There's one more portal out of here," Rin said, breaking Haru's focus on the dying city. "Follow me."

The five of them ran down into the library, much to Haru's surprise. Rin pulled him along until they reached the back, where Rin pressed in a panel, which swung open to reveal an entirely separate room. In the center was a ring surrounded by glass. Upon their approach, a section of the glass slid open.

"Seijuurou's coming. He'll be here any minute. I can feel it," Rin said. "I need the four of you to get into the portal, now. It will take a minute to power up, but once it does, it will take you to the surface. Go, now."

Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa complied, but Haru grabbed onto Rin's arm. "What about you?" Haru demanded. "You're coming, right?"

"Haruka-no, Haru," Rin said. "I need to hold off Seijuurou. But you remember what I promised you last night? I will always find you again, you hear me?"

"What am I going to do, Rin?"

"Go back to your old life. Go back to school," Rin said. He held Haru's face in his hands. "The others will be there with you. As long as you stay away from the sea, Seijuurou won't get to you. And when you're done with school, go travel or something. See the world. Be in the Olympics. Just know that I-"

"You'll always find me," Haruka finished for him. He could hear the faint sounds of Seijuurou and his own men as the ransacked the library to find them.

Rin turned back to Haru after giving the wall a glance. Haru suddenly got hit with the feeling that he might never see the water god again.

"Rin?"

"Haru, you need to-"

"I love you."

Rin didn't answer but instead pulled Haruka closer, kissing him. Time seemed to stand still for just a brief moment as their lips locked, their mouths meshing together like two perfect puzzle pieces. To Haru, Rin was like sea salt and sunshine.

They could have stayed like that forever, except they were interrupted by the sound of banging on the wall. Seijuurou had discovered their location, and was trying to find the way in.

"I'm not leaving you," Haru said. "You can't stay here alone. I can't leave you behind to fight them off by yourself."

"And I can't let you get hurt by that bastard again." Haru didn't notice that Makoto had come up behind him, and it wasn't until he felt strong arms around him that Haru realized what was happening.

"Makoto-"

"Sorry, Haru, but I have my orders," Makoto said as he pulled a struggling Haru into the portal. "And they're to keep you safe."

The glass slid shut with a hiss, once again forming a seamless cylinder around the ring. Just as the ring began to glow, Seijuurou broke through the wall. He pushed Rin to the side and was just about to smash the glass with a large, gold scepter when Rin grabbed it, redirecting its path so it hit the wall instead. Seijuurou turned and swung the scepter again, its sharp point piercing flesh and ripping Rin's chest apart.

"NO!" Haru cried, breaking away from Makoto's grip. The glow of the ring beneath him had intensified. He had only seconds left.

Rin looked up at Haru, his ruby eyes meeting with Haruka's sapphire ones. He cracked that grin that Haru had grown so accustomed to.

"I WILL find you, Haruka. I swear I will!"

At that moment, Seijuurou kicked Rin to the ground, but the wounded god kept his eyes on the dark-haired swimmer behind the glass. Haru had his hands up against the glass, as if he was trying to get closer. The ring under his feet was glowing a bright white.

"Rin, I-"

"I know, Haru. I love you too."

"Rin…" Haru's voice came out as a whisper, and with a flash, he and the others were gone. Maybe Rin had been the only one who had noticed, but he had seen it, just for a brief second before everything went black.

Haruka had been crying. 


	11. A Fresh Start

Haruka stared out at the calm ocean, watching the sunset slowly as it cast its last rays of light, illuminating the undersides of the clouds on the horizon and basking them in a fading golden glow. He was soaking wet, water dripping from his hair and heavily waterlogged clothing. It was starting to get cold as dusk approached, and Haru let out an involuntary shiver. He felt the tide brush his ankles, reminding him that just moments before he had been with Rin.

Haru bit his lip at the thought of the water god. Rin was gone, and it was Haru's fault. If Haru had surrendered, then maybe Seijuurou wouldn't have destroyed Rin's palace, along with the kingdom. Haruka shuddered at the mental image of the floating bodies rising from the shattered city, of the dead creatures that had once called that place home. Makoto's voice shattered the images in Haruka's head.

"Haru!"

Makoto ran over to his friend, having landed a short distance away; Nagisa and Rei weren't far behind. He pulled Haru into a hug, his broad shoulders and muscled arms embracing Haruka like a strong, cuddly safety net. Haru buried his face into his best friend's neck, hot tears spilling out onto Makoto's already soaked shirt. Makoto could feel Haru's body shaking in his arms, and at first he thought it was Haru shivering from the cold. It wasn't until he heard Haru let out a sob of despair that he realized.

"Haru-chan!" Nagisa called as he finally reached them. The blonde looked to be fighting back tears as well, but he refused to let them spill over. Rei looked deeply concerned, and kept a comforting hand on Haru's back.

"We need to get out of the water," Rei said as Haru calmed down a bit. "If Seijuurou has succeeded, then he will have taken over Rin's kingdom, including his territory. If we stay here for too long, he could still find us and capture us."

"But the water is super shallow right here," Nagisa said.

"Doesn't matter. Rei's right, we need to go now," Makoto replied firmly.

Makoto had to half-drag Haruka out of the water; he was certain that if given the chance, Haru would jump right back in the water and try to swim and find Rin or something else crazy. Rei and Nagisa held onto Haru as well, supporting him. Rei breathed out a sigh of relief as they left the shallows and were on dry land. Seijuurou couldn't get them there. A droplet of water bounced off his red glasses, and then another, and another; it was starting to rain, and the swimmers could hear the faint rumble of thunder in the distance.

Droplets slid down Haruka's face, and he wasn't sure if they were from the rain, the salty seawater, or the remains of the tears that had left his eyes stinging and red-rimmed. He felt completely exhausted, and by the time the foursome had reached his house, Haru found himself completely relying on Makoto for support and Nagisa and Rei to keep him walking. All he wanted was to curl up and sleep for a thousand years, and just forget everything. He wanted to forget Rin, forget the world of magic and sea creatures, and forget that he was special. As he collapsed onto his bed for the first time in weeks, all Haru could think about was how his grandmother used to sing him to sleep every night.

-Iwatobi-

_Haruka had always been a bit different than the other children. At the beach, all of the sand crabs would desperately burrow into the sand following every wave, children digging into the beach to try and catch one. Not Haruka, though. He would just sit patiently in the sand, and eventually some little crabs would crawl right up to the boy and look at him with black, beady little eyes. Haru would delicately stroke them with one finger or hold them in the palm of his hand, and then release them again. Or, when swimming, most of the kids only went out so far. But Haruka, he would always swim out twice as far as any of the other children. For someone so tiny, the massive waves didn't even seem to bother him in the slightest as he swam around. It got to the point that he could swim better and faster than the lifeguards, who all eventually stopped worrying about him. Mrs. Nanase would always chide her tiny son about swimming out too far, but his grandmother would always swoop in and stop his mother's almost daily tirade, more often than not armed with a popsicle or some other treat for her only grandchild. Grandma Nanase, or Baachan as he called her._

_Haru loved his Baachan. She taught him all about the ocean, and had always been there to take him to the aquarium and the beach, and to swim lessons and practice whenever his mother and father were too tired from work. She made sure he grew up healthy and strong, unlike his mother. Haru never though badly of his mother, and she was really quite wonderful, but she had always seemed so fearful of the ocean for some bizarre reason. Baachan always told him that his mother worried too much, and would hand Haru his little plastic pail and shovel and advise him to build a sand castle._

_Every day, after Haru had finished school, or his swim lessons, Baachan would take him to the beach, even if it was only an hour or so. She used to play with Haru when he was really little, but as he got older, so did she. Eventually, Baachan would just sit and watch Haruka as he gleefully dove into the waves._

"_The water likes me, Baachan!"_

"_And do you like the water, Haruka?"_

"_Yes!"_

_At the end of the day they would go home hand in hand, and Mrs. Nanase would have dinner ready, and Mr. Nanase would be loosening his tie and sitting down at the dinner table, worn from another hard day's work. He would always smile at the sight of his son, and take Haruka into his lap, and ask Haru questions about his day as he hugged him. Then, after dinner, Haru would do his homework and take a bath, and then his parents would come and tuck him into bed. Then Baachan would come in and give him a kiss, and sing odd little songs she made up about the ocean._

_One day, though, while Haruka had swim practice, his grandmother died rather suddenly. Her burial was just a few short days later, and Haru felt a gap in his life. It took a lot of convincing on his part to get Mrs. Nanase to allow him to go to the beach alone. Haru felt much lonelier without his Baachan, and the gap her death had left only widened when his parents moved for business._

_But then that one day, everything had changed when Rin had showed up on the beach…_

-Several Weeks Later-

Haru snapped out of his daydream. He sat in the bathtub, poking at the little blue dolphin toy as it bobbed up and down in the water. The water was starting to get a little cold. The bathroom was quiet save for the plip plip of water as it dripped from Haru's freshly washed hair back into the tub. Haru sighed out a little. His legs seemed to ache from the sheer lack of swimming, but the ocean was too dangerous now, so Haru had only his bathtub. And while Haru loved his bathtub quite dearly, it left something to be desired.

There was a faint thump as a door opened and shut, and Haru could hear Makoto's footsteps as the taller male walked down the hallways to the bathroom.

"I'm coming in," Makoto said as he gently pulled open the bathroom door. Haru could hear the smile in his friend's voice without even looking at him.

"Good morning, Haru-chan!" Makoto held out his hand, and Haruka took it gratefully as he was pulled out of the tub. He pulled a towel off the shiny chrome rack on the wall and began to dry himself vigorously. Haruka walked towards the kitchen, the towel still on his shoulders, Makoto in tow behind him.

"I see you've cleaned the house. That's good," Makoto said. It was pretty clear that he was trying to make small talk. "You did your homework, right?"

"Mmmhmm." Haru was focused on grilling his breakfast to perfection.

"I brought you lunch, Haru-chan, and I even put mackerel in it! But you have to eat everything else in the bento first, okay? Mackerel comes last!" Makoto stated in as serious of a tone as he could muster. Haru turned to give him a blank look, and Makoto knew his message had been lost in translation somewhere.

Haru finished cooking and ate his breakfast quickly before getting dressed and brushing his teeth. When he came out, he saw Makoto already by the front door with his school bag.

"Thanks," Haru said as he took the proffered bag. He couldn't help but give a ghost of a smile as Makoto hugged him.

"Now come on, if we're late then Rei will never let us here the end of it," Makoto said as he pulled Haru out the door.

The pair arrived a few minutes early, much to Makoto's great relief. The day seemed to go by quickly, and when lunch hit both Haruka and Makoto were more than happy to see their friends.

"Haru-chan! Haru-chan! GUESS WHAT?" Nagisa yelled as he latched onto Haruka's arm.

_What, you found Rin?_

"So I talked to a club advisor, and I found out that if we restore the old school swimming pool, we can make a swim club! And if we have a swim club, then Haru-chan can swim at least five days a week!"

"But," Rei said, pushing up his glasses. "We need to provide the funds ourselves to fix the pool. I suggest a fundraiser."

"Oh, the school is having the festival next week!" Makoto said.

"What festival?" Haru asked. The other three looked at him with utter disbelief.

"Haru…there've been fliers literally everywhere…"

"Basically, the school holds a festival with booths. The booths are set up mostly by clubs, a few others might be done for a class. We can do a booth if we make our club official, and then we can sell whatever we want."

"Let's do it then," Haru said. "We'll go make the club official after school. I want to swim again."

_And maybe even go to the Olympics, like Rin suggested…_

-The Next Day-

"BUT I LIKE THIS ONE, REI!"

"Nagisa, be respectful of Haru-chan's house and keep it down," Rei said sternly. "And a bright yellow on green for a tracksuit? Those colors are not beautiful on anything when together like that."

Haru sat down at the kotastsu with the others, setting the pizzas and plates down as well. "I got three, since I figure Nagisa would eat a whole one by himself. What are you looking at?"

"Track suits! Now that Miss Amakata is our advisor and our club is official, we need to look official for the festival next Friday! Meaning we have exactly one week! And if we order them today, we can get them in five days with the free shipping!" Nagisa chirped.

"We don't have the money for four whole tracksuits, though, Nagisa," Makoto said. Nagisa's face dropped considerably, and Rei frowned a bit. Haru looked at each of his friends and down at the magazine again.

"Well," he said, pointing at a blue and white jacket. "What if we only got the jackets? I've seen plenty of swim teams in the Olympics and other swim meets that didn't have entire tracksuits. Some didn't have tracksuits at all. And we can get the backs embroidered with 'Iwatobi'."

"But the money?"

"My parents used to send me spending money. I barely ever spent it, so I have a bit. Whatever is left over after we buy the jackets can go towards the pool," Haru said.

"YAY! Haru-chan, you're the best!" Nagisa exclaimed as he pounced on his friend.

"Nagisa, you'll get pizza sauce in Haruka's hair!"

"Now," Rei said as he pried Nagisa off Haruka. "What are we going to sell at the booth?"

"Mackerel."

"No, Haru."

"What about a kissing booth?" Nagisa suggested. "I bet a lot of girls would want to kiss Mako-chan!"

"I think another club is already doing that," Rei replied. "What about a bake sale?"

"We can make mackerel cupcakes."

"NO, HARU."

"That's a great idea, Rei-chan!" Nagisa said around a mouthful of pizza. "I'll order the tracksuits, and then we can buy all the supplies for baking tomorrow!"

"Just don't misspell 'Iwatobi' when you're putting in the customization on the order, Nagisa-chan."

"I won't, Rei-Rei!"

"What did you call me?"

As the four squabbled playfully, a figure gazed in through a window, watching them.

"A swim club," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "If you think you are safe here on dry land…well you'll see what's coming."


End file.
